Editing FallingTowardstheSun:Shaiya (section)

==History==

Shaiya Angstrom was born just after the end of the One Year War to May and Jun Angstrom, a pair of Federation intelligence operatives during the war.  The oldest of three children, her family lived on Side One, Colony 4 (El Dorado).  As the Titans' excesses grew and the Gryps war continued, her parents, concerned about their children's futures, struck a blow in their own way, acquiring a video of Titans and Neo Zeon members working out an alliance.  It was the centerpiece of a book putting forth that the Titans were as bad as the worst Zeon terrorists.  It was an instant sensation, but caused a firestorm of controversy in both pro-Titans and pro-Zeon regions.  The death threats started pouring in, along with an actual bomb at the publisher's office, one big enough to take out the building!  They went underground, leaving their children with friends of the family until the threat has subsided.

Shaiya didn't like this one bit and had a childish grudge against Zeonic remnants, one she's honed and nutured to this day.  A prodigy, she was admitted to Athena Academy, an exclusive private military school for girls and rose to the head of the class for her tactical prowess, graduating with honors.  Too young to enter the Federation Academy upon graduation at 16, her piloting and academic scores were notable enough that she found herself given an officer's berth on the OSM's Sloop John B, an assignment that would give her the experience to transfer into the Federation fleet proper in a couple of years.  Someone in Londo Bell had her eye on her and arranged the posting to get her in service as smoothly as possible, it seems.